My wife and love to garden. In fact, we dream of ways to expand our knowledge and experience. From our first zucchini plant grown in a small clay pot to the variety of vegetable beds today, we’re still finding we have so much to learn. The vine borer got our squash last year, and the spider mite is trying to get our parsley and other plants this year. Nevertheless, we still keep planting, we still keep trying, and we still keep learning. In fact, we haven’t rid our garden of the vine borer yet, but we’re planting enough plants to out pace it. If that’s not enough, there are the relentless weeds. To stay ahead of them is almost wishful thinking, but we’re game to try. Why? Because we’re persistent. Our passion to experience the satisfaction and nourishment of home-grown goodness compels us. It moves us in the heat of summer, and the pounding of the sun. It’s the motivation to pull another weed, to plant another tree, or to add more and more wood chips to our landscape.
Isn’t that so much like life?
We find ourselves in a place of enjoyment or in an avenue to express our passion(s), but there seems to be something we can’t forget, something we still hold on to, something that comes in from left field, and/or something that takes us by surprise that can quickly begin to grind us down. Each of these so-called inconveniences of life can sometimes even make us want to throw in the towel of excellence, of order, and of hard work. They’re not individually an issue-per se–but overtime and in their collective weight they get heavy. Maybe it’s trying to enjoy a nice evening outside with your spouse or a friend and the mosquitos are so bad they run you inside. Maybe it’s the shower curtain that keeps falling, the tile that isn’t quite fixed to the ground that you trip over, the half-painted wall you’ve gotten used to, the sprinkler system that stopped working, or the nagging fence that blew over last week and needs repair. What about chronic sickness. Perhaps an unreconciled relationship, or a difficulty at work that doesn’t have an end in sight. Perhaps it’s sins or mistakes long ago confessed that still have an impact on your mind today. Perhaps it’s just not getting enough sleep, not maintaining margin in your schedule or finances, or not investing into the relationships that matter most. At some point, we all face the pesky problems of life. This is what it means to live in a world riddled by sin.
But, do these nuisances have to sideline us? Do the life-challenges have to bog us down so much that we lose the sparkle in our eye for a job well done–no matter the size or the the significance? Is there a way forward? Is there hope for our circumstances despite the myriad weeds and mosquitos of life?
I believe there is. One facet is the power of persistence.
According to Merriam Webster, the word persistence means “…continuing without change in function or structure.” We know what persistence means practically. We see people stay at things for years–even in the face of difficulty. Y’all have your people y’all could name right now. Perhaps you’ve even experienced seasons of persistence in your own life. But, one thing we also know is that persistence is not easy, because it requires a willingness and initiative to sacrifice. It’s a challenge to be persistent, but it’s worth it–assuming it’s in the right direction. One of Eugene Peterson’s titles for one of his books captures the idea. The title is, “A long obedience in the same direction.” We get this idea, but do we apply it to our lives? Do we know really when we’re headed in the right direction? If we are, how do we stay the course? How do we remain?
We stay the course by the Word of God. Listen to what Paul told Timothy…
“Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you.”
1 Timothy 4:16
This was a fresh admonition from an apostle (Paul) to a recently appointed apostolic delegate (Timothy) in a large church setting (Ephesus). His mandate was not only for Timothy to watch his life-conduct and teaching, but to remain, persevere, or persist in them. In other words, Timothy’s life and teaching were to line up with the Word of God–persistently, and in so doing have an impact on all those around him. We know that life-challenges came upon Timothy (see the book of 2 Timothy); however, the charge remained. Align his life and his teaching with God’s Word, and remain there until the end.
How Does This Apply To Us Today?
The amazing thing about the Christian religion is that your life will never be ready enough to be saved. In other words, you can’t live a life to make you savable, justifiable, or forgivable. You and I are just too wicked and selfish. We want to define good and evil for ourselves. And it was into this fray that God sent His Son–born of a woman, born under to the Law, in order to redeem those under the Law. In other words, our lives only prove that we can’t refrain from evil (we constantly break the Law of morality or goodness or ethics), as well as we do not do enough right things to outweigh the evil that we say, think, or do. Enter Jesus. His life was lived for us. His death was died for us. His resurrection was to ensure eternal fellowship and life for us. He died so that when we die we have hope beyond the grave. Incredible.
And so, any who believe in faith that Christ is God’s answer to deal with their sin–a transfer of trusting their life to save them to God’s Son, Jesus–have within them the power to be persistent.
How?
Because your life now has meaning beyond the momentary pleasures. You’re a new creation in Christ, and all the old things have passed away. You’re given the privelege of stewarding every resource within your possession: your finances, your home, your relationships, your marriage, your children, your job, your yard, your toys, your everything. Moreover, as you steward them unto God’s glory and not your own nor vying for man’s praise, you bring honor to God and live as a conduit of God’s character.
Therefore,
- Look to Christ in faith or in confession and restoration of fellowship. No matter how far you have strayed, He, like the father to the prodigal son, will welcome you home. Come home.
- Align your life with the Word of God, and as you fall short confess and repent, and find restoration waiting for you every time.
- See everything you possess as a gift, and steward it to God’s glory–you’re storing for yourself treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust can destroy. Therefore, don’t let the life-challenges keep you bogged down in a slum sand pit when you have the ocean beach to play in.
“If we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”
C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory
And so, we persist. We press on. We align our lives with God’s Word, and we walk in confession as we fall short until we see Him face to face. Amen and Amen.
— June 29, 2018